Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short skipped some voluntary organized team activities as he pushed for a new contract, but he won’t hold out any longer. Short, as expected, will report to training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Even though Short was absent for part of OTAs this offseason, he reported for the Panthers’ mandatory three-day minicamp, so it’s not surprising to hear that he’ll report for training camp. Short would have been fined $76K for missing the three-day camp in June and each day of missed training camp would result in a $40K fine. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) notes that if Short didn’t report at least 30 days before the first regular season game of the 2016 season, he wouldn’t get a year of service for free agency. Basically, Short would have to be crazy to be anywhere but Spartanburg, South Carolina on July 27th.
Short is likely looking for a deal similar to what fellow defensive tackle Fletcher Cox got from the Eagles this summer, but the “sense inside the building” is that Panthers GM Dave Gettleman “won’t go much further than $15MM per season.” Short, who recorded 11 sacks in 2015, is currently scheduled to count for just $1.473MM against the 2016 cap.
Still, the 27-year-old led the Panthers with 11 sacks last season and Carolina knows that the bidding for Short will get out of hand if he reaches the open market after the 2016 season. Short enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and starting all 16 of the Panthers’ games for the first time. The Purdue product racked up 11 sacks to go along with 55 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He also added two more sacks and a forced fumble in the postseason.
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